Questions to Ask Your Senior About Their End-of-Life Wishes

Discussing end-of-life wishes with your elderly parent can be one of the most daunting steps that you have to take as a family caregiver. By confronting this need openly and honestly, and taking the time to truly have this conversation with your parent, however, you can show love and respect, and prepare yourself for making difficult decisions later. Not only does this help to reassure you that you will be able to do for your parent what they would want and what is most important to them now and in the future, but it also helps your parent feel more confident and secure. By discussing these issues and establishing their plans early in their journey, they can know that you are there for them and that they will be able to have as much of the life that they desire as possible.

Elder Care in Cascade MI: Talking About End of Life Wishes

Talking to your parent about their end-of-life wishes is not about you making plans or you telling your parent what you think should be done. Instead, it should be about you asking questions and listening to what your parent has to say so that you know that they are telling you what they truly think, feel, and believe about these issues.

Some questions to ask your parent about their end-of-life wishes include:

Where do you want to live throughout your later years?

Would you consider moving in with your caregiver or having your caregiver move in with you?

How do you feel about elder care and what would you want in an elderly home care services provider?

Do you have any strong religious or cultural beliefs about this transition? What are they and how have they impacted you so far?

How can those beliefs be respected and what plans need to be put into place now to ensure that they are handled properly?

How do you feel about hospice care?

How do you feel about artificial life-sustaining technology, also known as life support?

Would you want to continue to receive medical treatments and intervenes even to the end?

Are there any specific treatments or interventions that you do not want to receive?

Who do you want to make decisions for you during this time if you are not able to make them for yourself?

Starting elder care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you can make during the course of your caregiver journey with them. An elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a customized schedule designed specifically to address your elderly parent’s needs in the way that is right for them while also encouraging them to maintain as much independence, activity, and fulfillment as possible throughout their later years. This can be particularly valuable if they are living with a particular challenge or need, such as Alzheimer’s disease. This care provider can supplement the care that you already give your parent, provide highly personalized services tailored specifically to your parent as an individual, and help them to cope with the challenges that they are facing now and those that they will develop as they progress through the disease.

If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Cascade, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.

Dan Gauthier has a long and successful business pedigree. He spent his college years working in the restaurant business and worked in various executive management positions at Universal Forest Products, Inc. over a span of 17 years, and Therm Technology / Family Safety Products for 12 years.

When the recession hit in 2008 Dan was “downsized” from UFP and spent a few years consulting for local companies Amway and Cascade Engineering. During this period Dan’s in-laws were experiencing catastrophic health problems and it required Dan’s wife Marion to focus full time on caregiving for her mother. Marion enlisted help from a local home care agency and it did not go well. This experience led to the creation of Gauthier Family Home Care, a home care agency that is uniquely holistic and family centric. Dan now works full time running GFHC.Google

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